Years later
by Rose Briar 99
Summary: Things have began to change now that the 100 year war is over. Zuko must take on a wife or a concubine and conceive a child or risk his throne, while katara is racked with nightmares and pinning over someone she believes she can never have. A visit turned into something else. I write better than i summarize :)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one:

The sky above them had become dark, the clouds seeming to bleed as the sun began to rise in the east. In reality Zuko was sure that all his sister wanted right now, _was_ blood. His, Katara's, even her own; she probably wouldn't have cared. Azula's eyes were flaming with so much furry that her brother almost felt sorry for her... almost. Feeling bold he raised his hands high, taunting his sister, pushing her even more to that breaking point.

"What no lightening, afraid I'll redirect it?!" As he said these words, Zuko watched as the look in Azula's eyes went from pure hatred to a horrific, playful, crinkle as her lips split wide releasing a deafening laugh. It made Zuko physically cringe as the sound reached his ears. He was reminded of his father's cruel laughter every time he had hit Zuko as a child. It reminded him of that time... when... not so long ago Zuko had spoken out against an old frail commander in his father's war room, and then received his scar as punishment. It was the laughter of a maniac.

Azula stood straight, eyebrows raised in a way that could only be her contemplating mischief. She threw her head back and her laughter joined forces with the nature made lightening striking in any place it could find.

"Lightening?!" You want lightening brother! Fine then, I'll show you lightening!"

Her gaze left Zuko and traveled to what lay behind him. More accurately _who stood behind him_. Katara. Bending down the fire princess constructed one last bolt of lightning and without hesitation released it with all that furry she had built up inside.

Zuko moved to redirect this one too and yet in only a matter of seconds realized that he didnt have time to. The lightning bolt wasn't headed for him but rather something else. Katara. His sister had aimed the bolt perfectly so that way it would fly straight to the water-benders heart. He didn't think, he didn't stop to wonder why Azula had changed targets all of a sudden. He already knew, just like he knew that if he didn't do something soon he was going to lose more than just the Agni-Kai. Leaping quickly to the side, his arms spread wide as a fire hawks wings, Zuko took the blunt force of his sister's wrath, before he fell withering to the ground.

What happened next happened so quickly and yet all he could do was lay there breathing heavily and watching with fear, listening to Azlua's laughter as the air recharged once more with her lightening. The fire prince could only do one thing as he laid there on the courts hard stone floor. He watched as his sister threw lightning bolt after lightning bolt towards Katara. Thankfully Katara had learned the art of fighting and countered the insane girls attacks. Azlua, he knew, was giving her all against the water-bender. She would not be kind and gentle as he had been during his and Katara's training. His sister, he knew, would aim to kill, maim, and torture.

It killed Zuko to have to watch as the girl he had come to view as a friend, battled his sister. The realization that he could not help her, watch her back, or do anything but watch, hit him harder than the bolt of lightning that had hit him square in the chest. And it tore him to shreds.

Slowly his eyes began to slip shut but Zuko forced himself to stay awake. _No,_ he thought. He needed to stay coherent long enough for Katara to finish the Agni-Kai. Laying there, eyes straining as fire and water met again and again, turning the air around them to nothing but charged steam, Prince Zuko of the fire nation began to pray. He prayed to Agni, but more importantly he prayed to the moon goddess Yue as they called her. He prayed that she would grant Katara her power though she was not full. He prayed she would see her friend through this fight, this internal war. Yue, he realized, must have heard his prayers because only seconds later he watched as Katara literally froze Azula, tied her wrists with a metal chain, then carefully melted the ice surrounding them, leaving both of the girls heaving and gasping for air. That was it. All he needed before he finally let his eyes slip close.

The fight with the fire princess had tired Katara out almost to the point that the girl felt like falling where she stood and falling asleep. But she couldn't. Taking one last look at the fire breathing girl, yelling, screaming curses, Katara rushed to Zuko's side, tears streaming down her face. She didn't care to slow down before she threw herself to her knees hands already glowing bright blue. Katara kept her eyes on the wound before her as she carefully began to heal her friend. "Thank you Katara." Zuko's voice was raspy as he tried to sit up, wincing from the pain in his abdomen. Gently the water-bender pushed him back down, slipping her other hand beneath his head to use as cushion against the hard stone floor. She kept her hand glowing over his wound.

Her voice was just as raspy as Zuko's and came out as a whisper as she said, "I think that I'm the one that should be thanking you. After all..." The girl trailed off as Zuko's body contracted with heavy coughing fits again. A few minutes passed before Katara had him calmed down once more. She smiled weakly, "After all you saved my life." It was his turn to smile. "And yet you are the one who finished the Agni Kai… thank you." He tried to sit up again and this time Katara let him. Together they faced the High Sage and his followers. "It is over," the high sage announced, bowing his head. The others followed one by one. Yet Zuko was not paying any attention to them, his full attention on the girl beside him. "What should we do with her for now?"

Katara didn't need to ask who he was talking about, but she could not hide the fact that his question had surprised her. He was asking _her_ what to do with his sister… the _princess_ of the fire nation. She only looked towards the other girl, not much older than herself, and frowned. She couldn't help but wonder how Zuko and his sister had fallen apart. Katara didn't know what she would do if her and Sokka ever became that way. Tears fell from her eyes, trickled down her cheeks and slipped off.

Zuko felt the girl beside him release a shudder and knew it wasn't from the sudden wind that had picked up so quickly. Painfully due to his still opened wound, he tightened his arm around her waist and pulled her into an embrace which she returned, glad to have a distraction, a way to tear her eyes from the beaten, broken girl still spitting blue flames in her corner. Katara buried her face into Zuko's neck and on impact could feel just how hot he really was. Most of his heat, she gathered, had to have come from the fact that he was a fire bender, however, there was excess heat that could have only come from the pain he must have been in. Immediately she threw herself backwards, and turned toward the sages. "Take her somewhere where she won't be bothered, and won't harm anyone. Prince Zuko needs medical attention greater than I can administer. He needs a real doctor." Katara was surprised to hear that her voice had not once cracked. She had stood, her head held high and gave her orders. It felt… good. It felt… right.

Slowly the sages dismantled, the younger ones taking on Azula, while the older ones helped Katara take their prince to a healer. It wasn't a miracle of any sorts, and Zuko was still in pain, but the bleeding had stopped for now, and Katara could breathe more easily. Afterwards they went and found the rest of Team Avatar, crowded around a big lump of skin that could only by Ozai. Zuko hadn't said anything has he stood there looking at his father, as the young avatar explained that he merely taken the fire lords bending ability. The prince could not hide his scorn as he walked away from his father, telling the sages to place the ruthless man in the nearest cell available.

The world was still in flames but they were diminishing, and he would make sure, that as future fire lord, those flames remained put out for as long as he reigned. He would do it with the help of Aang and Katara and the rest of their team, together bringing a new world to raise. As he stood and watch the sun rise above the mountains he looked to Katara, the girl who had risked her life to get him to where he was now. _Yes,_ he thought as the sun brightened her face and she smiled at him, the world they knew was over. A new one taking its place.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two: goodbye for now

The next few weeks past by, leaving team Avatar in a haze. The war was over and the world wasn't wasting any time with the celebrations. The team had returned to Ember Island for a real relaxation, rather than spending all their time forced to ready themselves for the defeat of a cruel ruler. At first Zuko had opted to stay behind, convinced that has the new fire lord there was things to be done. Treaties to be signed, new laws conceived, and it wasn't until Katara had literally dragged him out of his office and threatened to water whip him into the next year, that the young fire lord had agreed, reluctantly, to let Iroh take charge of business

"I'll be back in three weeks Uncle." He had told the old man, as he put the last of his luggage on the avatar's flying bison. He wanted to say more, but the other's were waiting impatiently to get going. He took one last look at his uncle as he climbed up, settling down by the water bender. Katara waved goodbye to Iroh as Aang got Appa up in the air. Sitting back down next to Zuko, she smiled. "Everything will be fine Zuko," she reassured him. "Iroh will take care of things and we'll be able to really relax for once." Zuko loved the girl's smile. It made him want to smile despite everything stressing him out. She always had a way to find something good about everything even when they were all constantly running for their lives. He wanted to know how she did it… how she could be positive about everything and anything… and how she seemed to be a constant clarity in his life.

The ride was short, and before nightfall the team was setting up in their rooms as Katara got going on dinner. Somethings, they realized, would never change. Zuko was perfectly fine with that. As he watched her from behind, he couldn't but help letting his eyes wander over her petite form. She seemed happier, he realized, now that the war was over. And who wouldn't be? But now she hummed to herself as she worked, she danced little dances and swayed those hips of hers that made him want to reach out and join her in whatever far off world she must have put herself in.

But he stayed behind, leaving her alone, afraid he would disrupt her, and pull her back to reality. He loved watching her, and was very much content to continue. A smile pulled the corners of his lips upwards as he leaned against a pillar, his arms folded across his chest. Oh how he loved watching her, especially when she had no idea he was. So he thought.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at me all night?"

Katara's voice was small yet clear, and caught him so off guard that Zuko jumped back a little surprised. He shook his head laughing weakly, his mind scrambling to come up with a good reason for why he was watching her in the first place. Nothing came to him, and Katara turned around smiling at him. There it was again. That smile that seemed to send him off the edge he had been standing on since day one. Since the day that she had forgiven him completely for everything that had happened.

She raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. Zuko was still standing there, staring, he realized. But he knew he couldn't help it. She was beautiful… a goddess. It was stupid, he knew, but he said the first thing that came to mind. "What are you making? It smells good." This only caused the waterbending girl to laugh out right and turn back to the makeshift stove. "I don't know really, just something that I threw together. Gran-gran had taught my mother how to cook, and though I don't remember her much, I do remember the smells that always encased our igloo for dinner. When I was old enough, I asked Gran to teach me, and she was willing."

Zuko pushed himself off of his pillar and hesitantly made his way to Katara, peering into the pot, his senses kicking into overdrive and washing him in pure heaven. Whatever it was, it smelled amazing. Katara dipped the spoon in the pot and brought it back up. "Gran said it was an old fire nation recipie. Very hot, very spicy. Wanna taste?" Zuko smiled more to himself than her as he swiped a finger through the sauce like substance on the spoon, and still meeting her gaze, slipped his finger in his mouth. The smell was nowhere near as amazing as the taste. Katara had been right. Very hot, very spicy. He let his eyes slip closed for just a second savouring the taste on the tip of his tongue before meeting her gaze again. "She's right."

Katara felt her chest tighten as she watched Zuko taste the food, slipping his finger into his mouth and closing his eyes. She bit her lip, nervous, for what she didn't know. He was just tasting after all. But something got to her, as she stood there watching him. Then he reopened his eyes and met her gaze, and the tightness only got worse. Those eyes of his, were so beautiful. Beautiful and painful at the same time… though the two of them were close, she knew that those golden eyes of his would never look at her the way she wanted. She licked her lips and cleared her throat looking away. Zuko thought he should say something to interrupt the silence but before he could Sokka came bounding into the clearing yelling about something that Toph had done. Silence interrupted.

Katara went back to the dinner, and Zuko went back to his pillar, as Sokka ran to hide behind his girlfriend. Zuko couldn't help but glare at the water tribe boy, his arms crossed on his chest. But as he thought about it, he didn't understand why he had gotten so mad… Regardless, things were set to change, he could feel it in the air around them and he could feel every time he looked Katara's way. Pulling away from the pillar he left, heading to him room to await dinner.

The weeks went by faster than anyone wanted, and before long sad goodbyes were being said, crushing hugs distributed. "You'll write, won't you?" Katara had asked leaving her arms wrapped around Zuko's neck a little longer than normal. "Of course I will. Every single day. I'm already thinking about the first one which you'll receive before you even board the ship." Zuko laughed slightly giving the girl one last squeeze. Katara frowned confused as he pulled out a folded piece of paper from his tunic pocket. "Don't open it until the ship's left though or else it won't give me time." The water-bender's brows knit together in confusion, but before she could say anything else, her father yelled at her to hurry. "You should go Katara. I'll see you soon." She threw her arms around his one last time before running off in the direction of her father's water tribe ship. And Zuko watched her go, his world clouding over.


	3. Chapter 3

chapter 3 Hurt

Three years had passed since the war had ended that fateful day. Three years since he had last seen Katara. Now as he sat behind his office desk, a letter in his hand signed by her, he couldn't help but smile.

They had stayed in touch, ever since she had boarded the water tribe vessel that had sent her home three years prior, and it was almost as though she was still there, bickering at him and giving him a hard time like always. Only when he put her letters away in a small ornate wooden box in the far reassess's of his desk, did it hit him with the full force of a typhoon, that she was in fact half a world away from him. But now after three years, he could finally smile again, for real. And it felt... good.

He heard the soft rapping on his door and folded the letter hastily, placing it carefully in the box, and the box out of sight, before addressing the intruder. "You may enter!" His voice was raspy, bored, and tired. It didn't help that the new comer was none other than Mai, his... girlfriend. The girl who found everything dull and boring. At least today she bore a smile.

"Hey." Agni... even her voice portrayed nothing but boredom.

"Hello Mai. What are you doing here?"

"What not happy to see your girlfriend? Tsk, tsk." She clicked her tongue at him as she came to stand in the middle of his office. Looking at him, her face spread even wider. Sauntering over, she stood just behind his chair and wrapped her little arms around his neck. "You look over worked Zuko" she whispered, "and that's never a good thing." She leaned down and placed a kiss on the side of his ear, slowly flicking her tongue out, licking the shell before taking a piece of cartilage in between her teeth.

"Maybe you need a break." Her hands began to roam, letting him know very well what she intended. But he clearly wasn't in the mood. Her hands began to slip lower and lower until her wrist was grasped firmly in his hand. "Mai what are you doing?" He sounded just as bored as her. The girl looked taken aback. "Oh come on Zuko, you're always shut up in this room, doing nothing but pouring over letters and books. And if not here than in the throne room behind your wall of fire, talking to the sages. When's the last time we had... time... _alone?"_ Zuko rolled his eyes slightly and sighed. He hadn't wanted to spend _alone time_ with the non bender at all over the last couple of weeks, and especially not in _that_ sort of way. Ever since he received Katara's letter saying that she was on her way to visit, with her brother and father, all Zuko could think about was seeing the young water bender again.

Turning to Mai he gently unfolded her arms from around his neck and stood up. "Mai, I'm just not in the mood right now okay. We'll talk later." The girl huffed at his reply, frowning. "Zuko. You're never in the mood to do anything with me." The young fire lord just shrugged as he walked towards the door. "Mai, I'm the fire lord, I don't have time for.. personal things. Now if you'll excuse me, I have guest quarter's to set up. Katara and her family will be here soon and I'd rather not have them sleeping on the couch." He left through the door his red and black fire nation robes floating behind him, leaving the girl alone in his office.

Mai sighed running her fingers graciously across her boyfriend's work desk. There were some things that came with being with the fire lord she guessed, and one of those was apparently not being able to see him as much as she wanted. She'd have to coup, she thought, and deal with it. Especially if she was to become the future fire lady one day. Of course Zuko had yet to ask her, but her mother thought it was only a matter of time. She'd have to be ready. As she sat down in his chair she signed deeply. Fire lady.. Her mother thought about it constantly, begging her daughter to get a move on with it... bedding the fire lord... conceiving his heir and becoming his wife. But those were her mother's thoughts. Mai didn't know if that was what _she_ wanted for herself. Sure, she had what it took to be fire lady, but she saw it Zuko's eyes, in the way he had began to distance himself from her. He was either not ready, or... or he didn't want her. He needed to make up his mind though, and soon, because if the sages had their way, Zuko wouldn't have a say so anymore. For her sake and his, she hopped he chose soon.

xxx

" _Dear Katara,_

 _I'm so glad to hear that you are coming for a visit, and yes your oaf of a brother, and Chief Hakoda are both welcome as well. I've got plenty of room. Things haven't really changed much since your last letter, except that the high sages have been conversing about certain matters that not even I am aware of. Knowing them, its got something to do with the fact that I have yet to place a fire lady on the throne besides me. I'm just not ready yet... Though Mai seems content with showing me just how ready, and willing she is. But that's not what we should be talking about right now. I'd rather talk about when you're coming, and when Sokka is planning on eating me out of all my meat in the kitchens..."_

The water bender smiled to herself, rereading zuko's letter for the fifth time that day. Three years... It had been three years since she had last seen him. Three years since she had boarded her father's boat and left the fire nation, returning home. Now she was headed back. Headed back to the fire nation. It was strange knowing that before she even woke up in the morning, she would be only miles away from her best friend. Not a nation, not a world away, not even a ocean. Miles.

She scanned the letter again, drinking in the slight curve of his letters. She'd have to tease him about having the hand writing of a female, making sure she gave him a very hard time, to make up for all the hard times she missed giving him over the past years. Though, she wondered if he'd have the time to be teased by someone like her, given the fact that he was now the fire lord and surely had better things to do then lounge around with a water bender. He had mentioned Mai, his girlfriend and the idea that she might be the next fire lady,despite him saying he wasn't quite ready, and the thought filled her dread. It wasn't as though she wasn't happy for him. She was. It was just that she seemed to be behind. She wasn't ready for all the suitors that her father and chief arnook kept throwing at her feet, begging her to wed. She was only 18 years old for crying out loud! Then again, her mother had been married and on her second child by then, as her father seemed content to keep reminding her.

The young woman sighed deeply, letting the moons beams of light wash over her as she stood leaning on the ship's railing remembering how far they had all come. In just three years she had helped end the 100 year war, dated the avatar, broke up with the avatar, and watched happily as Aang fell in love with the young earth bender, Toph. She even was present at the occasion when her oaf of a brother finally proposed to his girlfriend Suki. Every one it seemed was falling in love... everyone but her. She rolled her shoulders backwards before looking skywards. So young, and yet so much rested on her shoulders. She wondered how her friend was dealing with being the fire lord, the ruler of a nation forced into change. Of course she had read his letters, but he never seemed free to express just how much trouble he kept putting himself in on a daily basis. He said he was fine, happy even, sometimes bored but fine. But she knew him. He wasn't fine.

"Katara?"

Katara turned at the sound of her voice catching sight of her brother's tall frame in the near darkness. He came towards her, joining her at the railing. "How do you think the guy's doing?" Katara smiled, before letting a chiming laugh float through the darkness of the ship. "Zuko? I.. He's doing fine. At least he says he is, excited for our arrival and fearful." The water tribe man frowned. "Fearful? Of what? Getting water whipped into next year for not coming to see us in three years." Sokka moved his eyebrows up and down, his statement clearly sarcastic. This only caused his little sister to laugh once again,before playfully smacking him on the arm. "No. Fearful of you eating all his damn meat before he has had the chance to have any." The two siblings continued the night out till the sun rose slightly, encasing the sky in a pretty pink. finally Sokka sauntered back down below deck, to bed, and to Suki, leaving his sister behind to do whatever she wanted. He had advised sleep, but he doubted she would get any. In mere hours they would see Zuko again, and Katara would be content again.

The water tribe man sighed as he climbed in next to his fiance, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and sighing happily. His sister, he knew, had had a rough three years away from their friend, and he knew why too. It also had something to do with why she had continuously sent suitors away, begging their father to stop sending them after her. She wouldn't admit it to herself, Sokka knew, but He had seen the tears in her eyes the day she had told him, that the sages were planning on marrying zuko off, if he didn't find a fire lady soon. She had brushed it away as nothing, said she was happy for him. But Sokka knew something was up, and it didn't take him long to figure out what, putting two and two together. Now they were headed back and all he could do was pray. Pray to La that his sister wouldn't lose it in the end. Pray that she could deal with seeing Zuko with someone else. He didn't really understand how his sister had gone from hating the guys guts to pinning after him. Sure Zuko was a good guy now, but he was positive that there was something else behind the curtain. He just hopped he wouldn't have to hurt Zuko in the end for hurting Katara. whether Jerk bender was actually aware of it or not, Katara loved him so much it was slowly killing her inside. Sokka didn't know how much longer he could take it; the nightmares that woke her up screaming at night, the rereading of every single letter the man ever sent her, the pinning, the crying, the plain hurt that gnawed at _his_ insides every time he saw her stiffing her sobs and begging La to _save Zuko_.

Sokka knew that something had happened between her and Zuko and Azlua that night they had all split, going their separate ways to deal with the war. Something that his sister had yet to voice out loud to him consciously. Yet he knew about the Agni Kai. he knew what Zuko had done for his sister. He knew that if it hadn't been for katara, things might've been different, and Zuko wouldn't be the fire lord. His last thought before slipping off to sleep, was this. He was tired of seeing katara hurt this way, she deserved better and on her own time.


	4. note

Hey guys!

Sorry for the late update! I got stuck with writers block for a while and then i had to bring up grades but im back and I'm ready to go again.


	5. Chapter 4 Of laughter and smiles

The sun had already risen, and with it a young fire lord. What sleep he had managed to receive the night before seemed to be doing him little justice, as he stood in the only yards away from the convines of the of the palace court yard, waiting. Just a few more minutes and all this waiting would be over, its usefulness all used up. In just a few more moments, the water tribe vessel that he had watched all those years ago, carrying his best friend away, would become a tiny dot in his vision on the edge of the harbor half a mile away, and then he'd watch as even tinier dots walked off the boat… Just a few more moments and he'd see Katara again. The thought alone was enough to make a smile pull at the corner of his lips.

Iroh could only stand by his nephew's side and smile to himself. For weeks he had sat and watched as the young lord grew stressed from the heavy duties of fire lord, to smiling like a maniactic fool whenever he read -or reread- a simple letter from Katara. The older man remembered the first time he had come upon the younger sitting at his desk, laughing to himself, a piece of slightly crinkled parchment paper in his hands. Iroh had never even said a word before Zuko had looked up smiling. "She says that she misses me uncle... can you believe it? Katara actually misses me..." It made the old man smile gleefully to himself every time he remembered the moment. It was proof that the young woman seemed to have a way of getting to Zuko even when she was no where to be seen. It was true, the young man had yet to admit it out loud, but Iroh was sure that there were hidden feelings, waiting to bust at just the right moment. He knew that it was only a matter of time before the truth came out. Only a matter of time before Zuko finally admitted just how the water bender effected him. Iroh, however, was still waiting for that moment, and had been since he had first seen the two together all those years ago.

"What are you thinking about old man?"

Iroh chuckled hearing the smile in Zuko's voice. It was amazing, truly, the effect the water tribe woman had on his nephew. It was amazing that any woman could have any effect on him... All these years he had kept himself under lock and key, shut away in his office working from sun up to sun down, and then still some. Never going out, seeing the people, seeing the _women_ that would give anything to become the next fire lady. Iroh had seen the looks that Mai had given whenever someone brought her and zuko's realationship up, or even the idea of a possible future marriage. There was something there, hidden away in the eyes of the young nobel woman, that he had yet to figure out, a mystery he hopped he would soon solve before anything was to happen that might throw him a curved fireball. His reply was short and quck.

"Nothing Fire Lord Zuko." He smiled again, keeping his gaze locked on the thin line that was the ocean. "Just an old man lost in his thoughts." Zuko snorted, shuffling slightly in his royal robes, and the two lasped into silence as a guard trotted up to them, bowing low to the ground before addressing them. "Fire Lord Zuko, General Iroh," He straighented up after giving each an individual bow, then turned to Zuko. "My lord the water tribe vessel has arrived." Zuko bowed his head slightly, dismissing the royal guard, that slight smile of his widening to a full ear to ear grin. The waiting was over.

xxx

"Zuko buddy!" Sokka, the first off the boat, and the first to start after the royal guard which Zuko had sent to recieve the southern water tribe family, had literally thrown himself on the fire lord, and began to rough house with the other young man. At first the royal guards standing at attenion were alarmed, but after seeeing the chuckling General of the West, relaxed and watched the show.

Despite the lack of mobility that the robes offered him, Zuko had lost no time in placing the water tribe warrior in a head locK. the two men hassled each other, oblivious to the gaze focused on them But Katara could only smile as she watched her brother and the young lord rough house like two small boys. She stood and watched as the blood red robes were thrown off Zuko's large toned body, leaving him in his trousers and pointy boots. He had grown tired of the lack of mobiliy and had tossed them away, still managing to hold Sokka off. Not looking where he was throwing them, the robes had landed rumpled and forgotten, right next to Katara's feet. She laughed softly as the young fire bender tackled her brother to the ground an began to playfilly punch him in the side. Laughter filled the heated air around her, and it made her smile.

It was like tiny windchimes tinkling in the wind, yet there was no wind and the chimes were laughter. A girl's laughter. Katara's laughter. As it reached his ears Zuko lost his balance, giving the other man enough time to land a good punch in his side. The fire lord was on the ground in seconds laughing weakly, hands put up in defeat. One single laugh was enough to shut down the defence mechanisims keeping him upright. A single laugh... Her laugh. Sokka smiled victoriously as he he held out his hand, grasping Zuko's forarm he hauled the Fire Lord to his feet.

Slowly Zuko turned to greet Katara, the girl he had spent day after day, locked up in his office, miserably missing. But as he looked at her now, it was hard to see the Katara he used to know. Then again the Katara he used to know had been running for her life or fighting for it... the woman in front of him now, had had time to adjust to the new world. She had had time to breath, and it seemed that life was treating her well. As his eyes slowly took in her form, he was graced with a fantastic view. Her hips had defined even more in the past years, and she had grown taller. Her hair thicker and longer now, fell down to those hips of hers. So used to what Sokka had called "hair loopies", the young man was surprised to see the water bender's hair gracefully parted, some piled in an intricate bun curled and held in a grand headpiece of blue saphires and white crystales, as the rest fell evenly curled down her shoulders to her hips. Zuko had to admit that she looked stunning in the white sky blue dress that the water bender had worn for the day.

It was adorned with an intricate spiraling design of blue thread, and only added to the woman's beauty. It was true that Katara had always had a simple look to her before, and looks weren't qualifying factors to Zuko, but as he stared at her now, all he could think about was how stunning she looked in the dress and headpiece. No doubt she was only wearing it because her father and chief Arnook had requested her to. She was after all, now royalty just like him. Technically she had been, her whole life in fact, but since the war was over, Cheif Hakoda had taken up his postion as Chief of the Southern water tribe again, and with the intermingling of both the Northern and Southern tribes, funds had been added and so now the south was just as grand as the north. It had needed a royal family, Zuko guessed, just like the north did. And as the daughter of the chief, Katara was by blood and by tital the princess of the southern water tribe. It fit her well.

"Zuko" Her voice, like her laugh, caused him to go weak in the knees and he didn't know why. So small and so soft, it sent him nearly tumbling to his knees at her feet. He swallowed deeply, his mouth suddenly as dry as parchment paper. "Katara." She smiled warmly. Sure they both had titals now and reputations to uphold, but there never were any formalitites between them and there never would be. Walking over to the young man, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him gently towards her. Zuko returned the embrace lifting her slightly off her feet and twirling her around once, before placing her gently back on solid ground. It's been a while," he whispered in her ear before finally releasing his arms from her waist.

Katara detangled herself from Zuko, steping back and smiling again. It seemed that ever since she climbed aboard the ship that would bring her here, to the fire nation... to Zuko, she couldn't stop smiling at everything and everyone. She loved the feeling it gave her. The two stared at each other, just smiling like fools untill someone cleared their throat, breaking their concentration. Sokka stood just behind Zuko, taring back and forth between the fire lord and his sister. The knowing look rested in his eyes, yet he knew that neither one of the benders would ever admit to anyone - including themselves - what those looks truly meant. But it _was_ there, clearly written all over their faces. It brought a smile to his face just thinking about how they were always joking about how _he_ was the blind one... even Toph had agreed with him on the aspect of Zuko and Katara. The silence getting to intence, he took it as his obligation to break it.

"Alright then, now that we've got hellos taken care of... Jerk bender, got any food around this place of yours?" "Sokka!" The water tribe boy had to duck to avoid his sisters advancing hand and just barely escaped it. the fire lord laughed at the easy banter between brother and sister. The two played around like nothing bad had ever happened... like Sokka had never pissed Katara off in his life... Once a long time ago, Azula and him had been that way. Once. He would be lying if he said that he missed it.

Iroh too watched the banter taking place between the siblings, and laughed, clearing his throat deeply, catching everyone's attention. Catching his nephew's eye he chuckled slightly once more. "Zuko, why don't you show our guests their rooms so they can settle in while dinner is finishing up. I'm sure that with their long trip behind them now, they would like some time to wash up."

"Sounds excellent to me Uncle," Zuko replied looking at Katara once again. "I've got everything all set up and ready-" he went to say more but cut himself off as the water bender gave him yet another small smile. Oh how it made him breathless just seeing it! His uncle however, took the time to say more. "Splendid nephew! Splenndid! Why don't you go show our younger guests to their rooms and I will show Chief Hakoda here, a game of Pai Sho." While the formalities had escapped Zuko and the water tribe siblings, they did not escape the general and the chief. Zuko rolled his eyes, smirking. He turned, meeting the firce blue gaze of his friend, and saw that she held something in her hands. It was his robes which he had quickly riden himself of during his and sokkas own banter a few moments prior. Not only did the woman have the royal robes in her hands, she held them opened as though to help him place them back on his shoulders. Normally he never let anyone help him into the royal robes, always opting to do everything himself, yet as he stood there watching Katara he couldn't help but _want_ the help. As long as it was her that was the one offering.

He walked towards her and turned slipping his arms into the armholes and smoothing the cloth into place. He froze for only a second as he felt her small hands join his, messing with the red cloth. Her skin was ice cold, just like he had remembered it, and taking her hands into his own he held them up to his mouth and softly blew onto them sending a warm gust spreading over her skin. Katara didn't know why, but as soon as his lips touched her hands she felt a rush of feelings course through her, making her blush wildly. She had no doubt from the look that the fire bender gave her, that he had not missed the slight ting in her cheeks. the thought that he had seen her blush only made her blush even more.

Finally Zuko turned back around, greeting the rest of his awaiting guests. " I think we should get you all set up and ready for dinner, before Sokka here dies from starvation." He laughed at his own joke before the man at question interuppted him with a death glare. "What can I say? A man has to eat. and that _thing_ that they called food on the boat, was not food." Katara, joining Zuko's side laughed. "Some thing's never change I guess. no matter how much time you have. " She said slipping her hand into the crook of his arm. As they walked, the young lord couldn't help but stare, not at the road ahead, but rather at the beauty at his side. She was absolutly stunning in that dress of hers. For a split second a forbidden image escapped the convines of his mind and played before his eyes. An image that was only ever his to see. Katara, just as she was now, holding his arm and merely walking. Yet it was not a blue dress which she wore, instead it was the blood red of the royal fire nation robes, those of the fire lady. On her head securing her hair was the crown of the wife of the fire lord. Zuko quickly shut the image out, blushing just as red as Katara had been before. At this moment the girl turned to look at him, worry written in her eyes. "ARe you okay? you look a bit... red..." Zuko smiled shyly, chuckling. "Well you're not in the water nation anymore Katara," was all he said before leading her past two sets of guards and finally into the palace court yard, her laughter floating in the warm air around them.


	6. Chapter 5 Of grand rooms and early baths

"Well here you are."

Zuko stopped his guests outside a wooden, ornate, door standing slightly ajar. Turning to Sokka and Suki he smiled knowingly. "I've heard some rather interesting news, and I'm sure you two won't mind … sharing?" He asked it as a question though he already knew the answer. The water tribe man smiled devilishly, turning to his laughing sister. "I told you I was going to tell him Katara!" Katara merely shrugged her shoulders and continued to laugh, letting the young Fire Lord do the talking. "What, really, could she do Sokka? Hide it from me? Even on paper your sister has a hard time keeping secrets from me." He was rewarded for his remark by a playful, yet sharp jab in his side.

Sokka laughed along-side his sister before turning to his soon to be wife and kissing her on her lips. Looking back to Zuko he said his thanks and walked into the room. Suki was more generous with her thanks. "Are you sure you want us to stay here? You do know how much of a mess Sokka likes to make? We could always stay somewhere-" The fire lord cut her off gently. "The pleasure is all mine Suki. Sokka can make as big a mess as he possibly can. There's nothing yet that my maids haven't mastered at cleaning…. And that's with me growing up under the roof!" He laughed at his own joke as he returned Suki's small smile and watched as the girl walked through the door, joining Sokka on the large bed in the middle of the room. Turning back to the woman in the hall, he sighed happily linking her arm back in his. Katara laughed shortly. "You're going to regret making that statement Zuko. You do know this _is_ my brother we are talking about?" The man shrugged and started to lead her down the hall away from the room. "This place could do with some messing up every once in a while. Everything will be fine." He threw her a wry smile that made it clear he didn't think everything would be _fine_ , and the water bender shyly returned it.

The two benders walked in content silence for a few moments, Katara taking in the fire nation decor on the walls and floor, Zuko staring at her eyes widening and smiling slightly at the small gasps escaping her mouth. Finally he stopped them at yet another door more ornate than the last. "Sokka and Suki's room is grand no doubt, but this here is something more suited for you I think. Small enough for a single person and yet still spacious. It's here in the royal quarters and my room is only three doors down." Katara gasped slightly at the remark. Zuko had set up _royal quarters just for her._ She may have been a princess now but she was still getting used to the idea. Surely he had done it out of their friendship… and not her title? She felt as though perhaps all this was was a genuine, friendly thing. But she had to make sure. "Zuko… I can't… you know that I can't… take these rooms…." He interrupted her, chuckling deeply. Katara frowned slightly, her lips pulling down in a frown.

"Katara you're a princess now." There it was. She hated the idea. She meant to say something but Zuko wasn't done talking. "Surely you'd want to take advantage of that?" He was still laughing, clearly joking with her. She could see it in his eyes. He knew full well through all her letters how much she hated her title as princess of the southern water tribe. He was only trying to make good on it, be a good fire lord and host. The water bender released her frown and smiled for a split second. "You know me Zuko." But try as she might to make fun, it didn't work for her. The smile fell once more and was again replaced with the deep frown. She sighed deeply, her voice cackling around the edges. Untangling her arm from his, Katara paced the hall. "I may have this title now," she said. "But it means nothing to me. Nothing except fancy dresses that I can't even breathe in. giant head pieces that give me migraines, and my father and arnook throwing every eligible man at my feet."

As he watched his friend pacing, complaining about the fancy dresses and giant head pieces, Zuko once more let a few forbidden thoughts evade his mind. Katara in a simple red fire nation dress, a blue sash signaling her beautiful heritage, wrapped around her waist and a simple three pronged crown securing a top knot on top of her head. Of course for that to happen he'd have to find the crown in the first place…

"Zuko?"

He pulled himself out of his thoughts at the sound of Katara's voice. He lent her another smile and beckoned to her from where he stood leaning against a support pillar draped in fire nation silk. Katara walked over to him, her heart pounding in her chest loud enough she could _hear_ the blood rushing in her veins. When she was close enough, Zuko gently grabbed her by the waist and brought her close, embracing her once more. Upon skin contact he nearly lost sense of thought again for reasons he wasn't sure he could admit…. At least if he was to admit them to himself he surely wasn't about to admit them to the slender waisted, slightly muscular, extremely beautiful woman in his arms. As he leaned his head down to whisper in her ear, he could feel her heart racing. Perhaps, he thought, from anxiety? From everything that her father and Chief Arnook were putting her through lately? Surely not for the reason he secretly wanted it to be… "I know Katara. It's all a facquade really isn't it? The smiling, the straight posture. Letting all the strange men fawn over you… I understand completely. So drop the facqude Katara. You don't need it with me."

His breath was warm on her neck as he buried his face in the water bender's neck. Almost kissing but not quite, just embracing. Holding onto the only clarity in his otherwise hazy world. As he looked back up standing straight again, he met the heated blue gaze of Katara. Heated because as he watched, she started to cry. He soon realized, though, that they were tears of relief not sadness. He smiled mischievously before releasing her and turning to the door.

"But really, princess or no, you can't blame me for wanting to redecorate and have a little fun." He threw open the door and heard Katara squeeze with delight.

The room was decorated, not as a normal fire nation room would have been, but rather the inside of a water tribal room. The walls were painted a light ocean blue and on them hung all types of skins from animals Katara would have found back home. On one side sat a large bed draped in silky blue and shiny silver, and a nightstand stood next to it holding a not yet lit lamp.

As the water bender took in the room she couldn't but smile. It was all so… she stopped taking in the entire water tribe decor, as the flowing sensation of water reached her bending senses. Casting a small look behind her at the fire lord still standing in the door way, she walked in the room and to the back… her room wasn't just one, she soon found, but two!

"La! Zuko!"

The fire bender laughed as he stepped into the bathing quarters with his friend. Everything around them was bathed in a brilliant white, everything meaning the giant tub that filled the bathing room, full of water, the white walls where strips of silver cloth ran to and fro, casting light shadows on the water.

"A little overboard but I have to agree with my uncle. Your trip must have been long. Sokka has the same one in his, just with no window, and this one is slightly bigger…. Oh and your father and all my guests from the southern water tribe have one in their quarters as well."

"Why?"

"Why what?" The fire lord smirked slyly.

Katara smiled rolling her eyes to the ceiling. "Why are these bigger, more grand? "

"Well to be fully honest I got so carried away with the main room that I just _forgot_ to make it even grander, so sadly it's the way it's always been. The silver replacing red drapes of course."

Katara raised an eyebrow, curious, as she continued to survey her surroundings, the water in the tub calling to her. Zuko took no time in answering her question, though he did shyly and hesitantly. "Well, ummm… you see these quarters, well… ummm… they are… were.. the fire lady's. But since I don't have one-"

"You're letting me stay in rooms destined for your future wife?"

Zuko shrugged rubbing the back of his neck, and in that second Katara was reminded of his last letter. The letter that let her know that sooner than later, the man in front of her was to be wed. She found herself wondering what a fire lord and his lady did on their wedding night, and for a split second images of Zuko laying in nothing but a red silk robe on the bed in the other room, flashed through her mind. But she quickly shook the images away, chastising herself for thinking that way about her friend. Her "soon to be wed" friend, but friend nonetheless.

"Too much?"

She snickered softly. "They're lovely Zuko. Thank you." She then walked over to the bath and trailed her fingers across the top, making a small globe of water rest in her hand in perfect formation. Zuko smiled at her small laugh and the way she trailed her fingers over the edge of the water, yet as soon as he saw what she was doing, he quickly moved to duck to avoid being hit with a ball of water.

"Hey!"

The woman continued to laugh, the water safely back in the tub, her eyes shut as her body shook with laughter. Taking her state as his que, Zuko smiled before running and tackling the water bender, effectively sending them both tumbling into the awaiting tub full of water. "Zuko!" Katara gasped spiting water from her mouth as she resurfaced, glaring at the fire lord. Climbing out of the tub, he dried his hair and robes and watched through half lidded eyes as the woman he had missed very much for three years, pulled herself out of the tub and bent the water from her dress and hair replacing the water in the tub alongside the spilt water that had flown over the tub when she had been tackled. Meeting her gaze again, the fire lord chuckled. "Couldn't help it," he said earning him a hard smack from his friend. "Get out," she said laughing hard, still breathless from her plunge. "Get out so I can bath and we can get to dinner," and zuko bowing low, backed out of the bathing chamber and out of the room in general, Katara's sweet laughter trailing behind him.


	7. Chapter 7 of letters and dinner

_**I am on a roll here! Normally don't post two chapter's in one day, but the block is gone and the words are flowing! I have courrupted yet another Kataang fan and am quite happy to say that while Aang and Katara are still a ship for her, Zutara is in the happenings!**_

 _ **Thank you all for the follows and reviews! Love you guys!**_

 _ **-briar-**_

Katara's bath was peaceful and long, the young woman soaking for as long as she dared before a maid walked in and told her dinner was about to begin.

The water bender sighed, stepping hesitantly out of the still warm water and wrapping an even warmer towel around herself, gasping loudly as the heat reached her skin, warming her to her very bones. The young maid, a worried expression of her face, turned. "Is everything okay Lady Katara? Nothing's wrong is it?" Katara smiled in reply, nodding. "Everything's perfectly fine, thank you." Then she followed the young maid out of the bathing chamber and into the main room to ready herself.

Entering the grand sleeping chambers, Katara gasped for what must have been the hundredth time since her arrival to the fire nation only mere hours before. In stark contrast to the silvers and blues that spread themselves graciously about the room, a red dress, floor length and decorated in spiraling black thread, rested on the bed, a small note to its side. She looked to the maid for confirmation. The maid, a young girl of perhaps 14 years, smiled up at her shyly. "Fire lord Zuko sent it in for you Lady Katara. He also sends his wishes for you to sport it to tonight's dinner." She said pointing to the note resting casually by the dress. Katara returned the girl's smile before fingering the fabric of the dress, revealing in the feel of fire nation silk beneath her fingers. Oh how she missed the feel of fire nation silk! "Of course he did," she whispered more to herself than to the maid.

"My lord also informed me that you are not one to let yourself be waited on, so I'll leave you to dress and ready yourself. If you need anything though, anything at all my lady, I'm right outside." Katara allowed herself yet another smile as she nodded to the girl, and watched her bow herself out the door, leaving Katara alone with herself.

Laughing weakly, Katara let her towel drop slowly to the floor at her feet and picking up the dress, she slipped it over her body with no regard to her tribal under garments. The fun thing with dresses like the one she now wore, there was no need for breast bindings. Her one thought as she smoothed the dress down her legs, was that if Zuko was the requesting it, she'd gladly wear the dress. The water bender then turned back to the bed which the note still rested and picked up the thin parchment, recognizing Zuko's tidy slanted writing.

" _Katara,_

 _I know it's only the first day and as we have already made aware, you despise_ _fancy_ _dresses. Yet you cannot hate me for seeing this one and thinking immediately of you. Also, as you're friend for three years, I have an understanding that you have a love for fire nation silk. It would make me happy to see you wearing this one to dinner tonight. Have no fear which why to wear your beautiful curls, I've always found down to be rather eye catching. It saves you the trouble right? Though there is a matching clip to the dress resting in the top drawer of the vanity next to the door to the bathing chamber. It was my mother's and it hasn't been worn for over a decade. (the dress as well as the clip) Please wear them tonight…_

 _Yours always,_

 _Zuko._

Katara stared at the letter with a gaping mouth, unable to function with the words needed to describe it. It was that beautiful. Then again somehow Zuko had always had a way with words when they were placed on paper. For La's sake, Katara was sure that in another lifetime, he could have been a poet. She still remembered his first letter, the one he had placed in her hand before telling her not to read it until she was already on the boat that would take her to the southern water tribe. A simple line yet it was enough.

 _Like the buds miss the sun's rays and the feral dogs miss the moons light, I miss you_

Katara smiled to herself as she walked over to the vanity he had described. Opening the top drawer she found the clip Zuko had asked her to wear. As she fingered the small red rose beads, she couldn't help but feel so out of place. His mother's… the clip she held in her hand now, had been Zuko's mother's…. Why on earth would he want Katara to wear it? Why would he request her to wear the dress? Katara didn't have much time to think on it before there was a knock on the door and the young maid stuck her head in, bowing low.

"My lady, are you ready? Dinner is about to start." Katara smiled as she carefully flipped her hair obscuring her face, to the side and pinned it with the clip. The clip in place she took one last look at her reflection in the mirror of the vanity, and then slipping on a pair of black shoes, followed the maid out of the room and to the royal dining hall.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dinner was about to begin and yet Zuko sat at the head of the long table, boredly entertained by the few noble men and their families. Why he had to invite the nobles to his welcoming dinner for Katara and her family, he still wasn't sure, but the sages had made it known that it was best. Now days it felt as though all Zuko was, was a prized trophy, and it was the sages that ran the fire nation. They told him what to do, how to act, who to invite to parties and dinners… and though he hardly listened to them on most of it, it still got on his nerves.

He silently hoped that Katara was sitting next to him laughing and joking around. Yet she still hadn't shown up. He prayed to Agni, she got his note and would wear the dress and the clip. Though she was water tribe, red, Zuko had found, fit her best in his mind's eye. It brought out her blue eyes and made her lips seem fuller… her lips… lips he had been dreaming of kissing for some reason for weeks now. He still hadn't admitted it to himself that there was anything _romantic_ between him and the water bender. Nothing… just friends. As his eyes trailed to the doorway one last time, he sat upright in his seat, lips slightly parted, eyes wide, pants suddenly unmistakably tight underneath the table.

Katara stood in the doorway of the royal dining hall, wearing the dress he had wanted her to sport tonight and her family's welcoming dinner. Her hair though down, was also pinned at the side in a large wave structure, in place with his mother's clip. The woman was absolutely stunning, so much in fact that it hurt him in more ways than one.

He stood alongside many other men as she entered the room, and he was very well aware of the heated looks that the others threw in her direction. If he didn't have to be nice to the nobles, Zuko would have already had them thrown out, yet he couldn't prove vocally that it was lust in their eyes.

Katara smiled shyly as she entered and took one of the two remaining seats around the table. The one next to Zuko. Talk quickly resumed around the table as the fire lord and the water bender stared at each other smiling like fools. "well fire lord, what do you think?" Katara asked, her question implying the dress and the clip. Zuko's smile only widened and he leaned in so she could hear him over the immense chatter of their fellow dinners. "I think," he whispered, his voice hoarse, his mind racing with unimaginable thoughts, "I think red is your true color water bender." The two shared a smile as he straightened back up in his seat just in time for the doors to open once more. As her eyes went to the newcomer, Katara's heart sank. In the doorway, stood Mai. Zuko's girlfriend, and potential future wife.

The fire nation woman smiled slightly as she made her way to the table, and sat herself on Zuko's left. She never said anything just unfolded her napkin and stared boredly off into space, waiting for her food. Zuko, knowing he would make matters any better by trying to strike conversation with his girlfriend, turned to Katara and offered her another smile. "How was your bath?" The woman smiled releasing a slight laugh. "Perfect. Heaven after not having a proper bath in three days, thank you." Zuko nodded slowly unable to keep a smile from his lips as he stared into the blue eyes of his friend. They didn't have time to say much more before dinner was finally served.

As she slowly ate her food, Mai was not at all oblivious to the way Zuko interacted with the water tribe princess. Inwardly she smiled, because she also saw the look, the gleam that rested in Katara's eyes every time she met Zuko's gaze. As she looked at the two before her, her only thought was, that the water bender was her way out of a promise made between a mother and a daughter years past.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys it's Briar again! I know I haven't had many updates lately but school just let out for the summer and so now I just have to battle the writer's block and hope for the best. Look forward to more of my fanfic and obsession with Zutara!**

 **-Briar-**

 **Chapter 8 of dinner and heated suggestions**

Dinner came and went with slight chatter swindling about the table. Mai didn't say much only kept to herself as she watched the rather pleased faces of the fire lord and water bender. Since dinner had been announced and Katara had entered the parlor, it seemed that Zuko hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of her. As the non-bender looked around the table at the other guests her eyes fell on her mother and her heart nearly dropped to the floor.

Mai's mother was nowhere pleased as she watched the fire lord and his guest from the South Pole, and Mai knew that she must have guessed what those around them had as well. All except Zuko and Katara themselves it would seem. As the knife wielding girl watched, her mother's eyes flamed alive with furry, then all of a sudden she smiled. It was the smile of a devilish woman hell sent to wreak havoc on all.

"Chief Hakoda, is it? I hear great things have been aspiring in the South Pole now that the war is over."

Mai frowned, caught her mother's eye only once and realized what the damned woman was doing. By now both Katara's and Zuko's eyes had turned away from each other and towards the noble woman, confused and equally surprised. Hakoda took one look at his daughter who had had more practice with playing nice with the fire nation and her slight smile was his push forward. He cleared his throat nervously and turned towards the woman. "Yes. Chief Arnook of the North has graciously given what until currently the south has not been able to produce. We are greatly indebted and will never be able to truly repay our sisters in the north."

He looked once more to his daughter and returned her slight nod of approval. The woman next to him frowned then threw an evil smirk at her daughter. "Never be able to- why my dear Hakoda!" Here she leaned in and placed a small delicate, beautifully manicured hand on the chief's larger forearm. "Have you not noticed what a _beautiful_ daughter you have? Not only is she a sight for sore eyes but a war hero, and she trained the Avatar. Anyone with half a brain would take her as payment in a heartbeat. Not to mention that she seems fit enough to bare children, she is still rather young." Zuko's heart dropped as he listened to the conversation arising around the dinner table. Everything Mai's mother was saying was true, no doubt about it. Katara was beautiful beyond belief, stunning even, so much that it hurt him every time he saw her. He wanted to believe it was only because she was an amazingly good friend to him, someone who understood him inside and out, yet there was a part of him that couldn't help but painfully pine after her when he heard things like Katara baring children, and marrying someone.

Mai jumped at her mother, chastising her harshly. It surprised Zuko that she would do so but he was greatly appreciative. The noble woman merely smiled sheepishly and acted as though she was sorry for overstepping her boundaries.

"I'm terribly sorry; I hope I haven't offended anyone too much. Just throwing some suggestions out in the open." Chief Hakoda threw her a tight lipped smile and cleared his throat. "Yes well, while that may be true, my daughter is not a prized trophy to bartered with. It is for the reasons you said, that I cannot and will not merely throw her to the wolves." Katara's heart was pounding in her chest as under the table her hands twisted into icy fists and the air around the room took on an even icier chill. Zuko understandingly grabbed a hold of one of the woman's hands and laced his fingers with hers. She met his quick glance before returning her attention to the prudent woman before them.

Mai however, knew that her mother wasn't finished with her taunting. The older woman cleared her throat, placing her perfectly manicured, equally expensive hand on her bedazzled chest, turning the attention of the guests from the princess of the southern water tribe, to Mai.

"Regardless," she said smiling. "Weddings are of upmost importance here in the fire nation. My darling daughter Mai has been waiting ever so patiently for her chance to become Fire Lady." Zuko normally didn't care much about people talking about him and his love life as though he was not there; he got it everywhere he went. But tonight was different. Mai's mother was beginning to make it sound as though his wedding to her daughter was about to happen any day, as though it was preordained. He could feel Katara tense up beside him, as the noble woman's heated gaze turned to the water tribe princess, a smile on her face. "It's only a matter of time now. I hear that the fire lord is _very_ taken with my daughter." Of course when it came to nobility and royalty, there was no such thing as being together as boyfriend and girlfriend, there was only a courtess and a courtier, and then marriage. In the eyes of Mai's mother the fact that her daughter was dating the fire lord meant that they would of course soon be wed. Of course to her, it surely was only a matter of time.

Katara's heart ached silently yet painfully as she listened to the woman before her. Of course she had known that someday the man beside her, holding her hand underneath the table, would most likely take the knife throwing girl as his wife. It was common knowledge. But for reasons she was only just beginning to understand herself, she was jealous. And it tore her up inside. She didn't want Mai's mother to know that she had gotten to her, but it nearly killed her to smile back warmly without sneering, and keeping the tears from spilling. She waited only a few more moments before slowly releasing Zuko's hand and standing. She complained gently that she had a slight headache and would not be taking desert tonight, before promptly excusing herself from the dinner table. As she hurried to the exit she could feel the gazes of the remaining dinner guests on her back as surely as she felt the twisting and sickening tightness in the pit of her stomach. The door shut snuggly behind her leaving her free to run down the halls, the tears she had kept at bay, trickling down her cheeks.


	9. Chapter 9 of strawberries and chocolate

**Chapter 9 of strawberries and chocolate**

When Katara had quickly excused herself from dinner, Zuko knew something was up. Sure she had smiled as though nothing was said, but he knew something that Mai's mother had voiced had gotten to her. He guessed it was what the prudent woman had said about repaying the north through the form of giving the water bender as payment; after all he himself was beyond aggravated at what the woman had suggested.

He wanted to run after her, catch her by the waist, and hold her. It was bad enough that she had to act like a completely different person in public, someone she wasn't, just to please others, but it was worse when she was put on the spot without looking for it. So yes he very much wanted to run after her, tell her everything was fine, but he couldn't. And it killed him. He couldn't just leave without first ending dinner, and he couldn't do that without a valid reason in the eyes of the nobility around him. So he sat in his seat at the head of the table, fuming, hating the harsh woman before him for her source of self entertainment for the evening.

A few more hours passed with Zuko refusing to talk to anyone, the feeling that at any moment he would pounce up and run to his friend regardless of the families around him, coursing through his veins. Once Katara had left, his mind had been detached from his body and was floating towards the water bender who made a red dress decade's old, look sexy. Mai's mother had tried to strike up conversation but he had pretended not to hear her over the heavy chatter of the other guests.

Soon one by one people began to leave, retiring for the night. First were Mai's parents much to Zuko's delight. The other nobility soon followed, then Sokka following quickly after a sickly pale looking Suki who looked as though at any moment she was about to hurl. Finally Mai stood up and turning to Zuko apologized for her mother's actions. She had really surprised him tonight, with everything she had done. It wasn't like her, but maybe it would benefit them? Then it was only the chief and him.

"Quite the evening it was Fire lord." The older man spoke first addressing the younger. "Yeah I guess so. You know sometimes I wish I wasn't the fire lord, so that way I could yell at people who deserve it severely." The water tribe man laughed briskly, catching on to what Zuko was saying. He knew just like the others around him that the fire lord had feelings for his daughter. He had seen the secret glances thrown at her and returned, and yet it would seem that to the two at question it was merely the glances of friends. He did not blame the young lord for how the night had ended. Seeing the worried look on the young man's face, he placed a large hand on Zuko's shoulder and smiled warmly. "You know she's not going to hate you for not running after her or jumping down that woman's throat for how she spoke about Katara. My daughter- well she's changed these past few years. She's grown up even more than what she was forced to when I was away in the war." He paused, a sad look surfacing in his blue eyes before he continued. "She's strong Zuko, much like her mother. And for reasons I know she hates, she has learned to deal with certain things. Have a good night." Then it was just Zuko and the cleaning servants and the chef.

He had the servants clean up dinner and then called to the chef to produce two bowls of thick milk chocolate squares and a large bowl of the juiciest strawberries they had. With three years of not seeing her, he had written Katara almost every single day, and with the way they had originally been forced into getting to know each other, he figured that it was time to go about it in a way he would have originally liked. He had asked her questions about her past, her future, her dislikes, her likes, her loves, her ambitions, even though he knew almost all of them. And she had done the same. One day he had written about how stressful the sages were making him, and in her returning letter he was surprised that she had asked if he had had any chocolate dipped strawberries to ease the stress. He was confused but she had explained that whenever she herself was stressed (now that the war was over and she had all the money she could ever need) she would have someone bring her melted milk chocolate (her favorite) and a bowl of the juiciest strawberries they could find.

The chef quickly returned with the bowls of chocolate and strawberries as requested, and Zuko told him to retire for the night, before he himself left through the parlor door and headed down the halls to the royal bedchambers. Moments later he stood outside Katara's door, the chocolate bowls in one hand and the strawberries in the other. He thought about knocking with his booted foot for a second but before he could make up his mind he was met with the ornate wooden door smacking him right in the face.

"I'm so sorry- Zuko?"

Katara stood in the door way, her hair down, a thin nightgown of silver silk embracing her small curves, and hiding her legs and feet though leaving her arms bare. Zuko could only stare, breathless, unable to say anything. Luckily Katara didn't take his current state as nothing more than someone who was just smacked in the face with a wooden door.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?! I'm so sorry I didn't know-" she met his gaze and saw him smiling, almost laughing. "I didn't know you would be out here." The fire lord shook his head and cleared his throat trying desperately not to laugh. "I'm fine Katara, um…" Not knowing what else to say he held up the three bowls of desert. "I figured maybe that _slight headache_ of yours" he smirked knowingly and stressed the words slight headache. "Would be stressing you out some, so I had the chef bring me some _milk chocolate and strawberries."_ He finished, winking. The water bender smiled warmly looking first at the three bowls then at her friend, before moving aside and letting him into her room.

Zuko stood in the middle of the room, surveying the interior, still not saying much. The sight he had been awarded when his vision had cleared after being smacked by the opening door, was one which placed him in a position he was only just beginning to understand. One which not only made his heart ache for the beauty before him but also left his pants beneath his robes tightening dangerously.

He wasn't stupid, he knew Katara was beautiful, and the way the nightgown hugged her breasts, her bottom, her hips…. The way her beautiful dark tresses fell down to those hips, it was all enough to drive him crazy. But he had to stop. The events which had taken place earlier that night needed to be dealt with. Katara didn't need someone subconsciously lusting after her, she needed a friend; someone to make her laugh and forget about everything even if it was just for a few hours. And Zuko believed he was the one to do so.

"Zuko?"

He turned at the sound of her voice, a shy smile on his lips, and sat down on the edge of the bed. The smile quickly faded. "I'm sorry about dinner Kat. I wasn't expecting Mai's mother to-" She cut him off quickly, not wanting him to stress too much over it. "It's fine Zuko, I'm sure she didn't mean much by it. She's just a mother, excited that her daughter is going to be royalty someday soon. I guess I should offer my congratulations."

Zuko didn't miss the sad look portrayed in her blue eyes even though her lips sported a warm smile. She had been upset about what the woman had said about him and Mai, not, as he had guessed, what she had suggested regarding Katara and the south's _payment_ to the North. Yet he couldn't imagine why Katara would worry herself over him… unless…. Unless she was jealous. He quickly dismantled the thought though, setting the bowls down on the bed and quickly standing. "I'm nowhere near close to marrying Mai Katara." The water bender opened her mouth to say something but seeing the heated look in Zuko's eyes quickly shut up. He really cared about what she thought of him. Zuko continued. "Mai's nothing more than my girlfriend right now, one that I can't even spend enough time with because of all my duties as fire lord."

The young lord began to pace the room as the blue eyed girl took his place on the bed and watched intently. Her voice was sad when she next spoke. "That woman seemed-"

"Stuck up? Full of herself? Obscene?"

Katara laughed out loud and fell back onto plump pillows. Zuko couldn't help but smile when the soft sound reached his ears. She sat back up after a moment and the fire lord returned to the bed picking up the bowls of chocolate and slightly warming the bottoms, melting the sweet treat inside. He placed the newly melted chocolate back on the bed and held the bowls in place so they wouldn't spill over onto the bedspread, and then watched with a heated gaze as the woman in front of him picked out a plump and rather large strawberry and dipped the tip into a bowl of chocolate before closing her eyes and taking a bite. As he watched the girl's actions, the fire bender's face flushed as forbidden images surfaced in his mind's eye, of that same chocolate melting in his fingers as he fed it to her. Yes he was beginning to admit that somewhere deep down inside of him feelings had a special place for the water bender but he would not admit them to her. At least not right now. She thought that he was madly in love with Mai and knowing her she wouldn't want to get in the way of that. Plus he didn't want to act on a whim only to find he didn't love her as anything more than a friend. He would burn his own pyre with him on it, before he ever hurt her that way. He picked up his own strawberry and took a bite, saving the chocolate for Katara and savoring the sweet look on her face as they ate their desert.

Soon the strawberries were gone and Katara had leaned back once more against the pillows, a chocolate bowl in her hand as she used her fingers to clean the rest out. Zuko had graciously been given the other one.

"Katara?" By now he had joined her leaning against the pillows, an elbow propped up to support his head. He remembered laying like this with her the night after the Agni Kai, and he found himself at peace.

"Hmmm?"

"Why are you so worried about me and Mai? After everything that woman said, that can't be the only thing bothering you. So what really it troubling you?" She took his bowl and placed it on the nightstand next to hers. "You're my best friend Zuko, and after everything that we've been through, I just- I just-" She trailed off suddenly, uninvited images surfacing, or rather _resurfacing._

Zuko was lying in a puddle of his own blood again, eyes loosing color, glazing over as he clutched Katara's arms, and gasped out his last and final breath.

"Tara?" She shook her head trying to clear the images away, trying to get rid of the nightmare. It was bad enough that she had to watch Zuko die every single night, worse when she had to watch him die in her waking moments with him sitting right next to her.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled into his chest as he snaked an arm around her shoulders. "I guess sleep is finally getting a hold of me." Zuko smiled warmly not wanting her to know that he could see right through the lie, and pulled her close. Before he could stop himself he placed a warm kiss on the side of her forehead. "I'll leave you to sleep then." Katara's eyes flew open; she didn't want him to go, to leave and let the nightmares pull her fully under, but she couldn't bring herself to ask him to stay. She knew that if anyone was to find the fire lord in the bed of another woman, rumors would spread. Rumors that while definitely not true, some small part of her would want them to be. Yes Katara was finally admitting to herself that she was in love with Fire Lord Zuko, but she wouldn't, no she couldn't admit that to him. He was in love with Mai after all, and while they were not getting married right away, she knew that deep down, one day in the future they possibly would be.

She smiled as he released her and climbed out of the bed taking with him the much appreciated and comfortable weight. He grabbed the bowls and said a final goodnight before leaving through the door and letting it shut snuggly behind him.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sleep didn't find Katara soon. It tried to pull her under right away but she held on, knowing what awaited her if she succumbed. So she stared at the ceiling for a while, mulling over the facts. Zuko had asked her what was _truly bothering her_ , which meant that he had seen through the lies. And yet she hated having to lie to him, she despised having to hide the truth from her closest friend. But she couldn't very well tell him the honest truth. She couldn't look him in the eye and say the words "I love you," and it killed her every single day.

After a while she finally turned on her side and pushed her face into the pillows that Zuko had lain on. They still held his scent, a deep musky, masculine smell that had heavy traces of honey and something that smelt like burnt firewood. Katara had always loved the smell of burnt wood and that was what Zuko had left.

Despite trying everything she could to battle sleep it finally pulled her under, lulling her with the smell of burnt firewood. Zuko's perfect scent.


	10. Chapter 10 of nightmares and savours

**Chapter 10 Of nightmares and savours**

The air was heated, charged with both nature and man-made lightening. The cruel laughter of Azula, Princess of the fire nation, resounded on every crevice, every single rocky surface. She had done it, she had won the Agni Kai, and her dear brother was lying in a puddle of his own blood. Yes so it would seem that Azula was born lucky, while Zuko was lucky to be born... More blood dripped from his mouth as he clutched at Katara's arms desperately trying to speak yet failing miserably, only to slump back to the floor.

"Zuko? No stay with me! Please! You can't leave me!"

The water tribe girl had tried everything she possibly could to save him but nothing had seemed to be doing the job correctly. Zuko was dying in her arms.

"Ka-ta-ra" he tried to sit up but didn't have the strength. "I'm here Zuko, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere." Laughter reached her ears.

In a tiny voice resembling that of an adult talking to a baby Azula mocked her dying brother and the girl who was trying to save him. "Oh how cute, the little water bender is trying to save the prince." Her voice turned hard then, resorting back to normal. "Give it up girl. He's dead."

She was right; Zuko's body was slumped again, lying on the cold hard ground, void of oxygen, as his skin turned paler and took on an icy touch. No breath left his lips. He had no pulse. Katara pulled him closer, tears streaking down her face as she screamed. "Zuko! Zuko please wake up! Please! Please you can't leave me." Then there was a pause as she brought her lips to his scarred ear and whispered the words "I love you." She hoped for some reason that the words would revive him, and when they didn't her heart shattered in a million different pieces.

When Azula heard the words she merely laughed her cruel laugh and said that her brother didn't diserve love and again told Katara to leave him be. She _kindly_ offered the water bender a one way ticket to meet him but her snide comment was ignored as the girl kneeled, soaking the front of Zuko's shirt with her tears, clutching him for dear life.

"Zuko please, please wake up. Please you can't leave me. not like this. Please come back to me." then suddenly Zuko's body was gone and Azula was burning her alive, reveling in her screams, chanting her name over and over again. "Katara, Katara, Katara!" Then for unknown reasons the princess of the fire nation told her to _wake up._

Katara's eyes flew open meeting golden ones. At first she thought that they were Azula's and thrashed about screaming over and over again. "How could you do it! He was your brother!" Someone was shaking her though, telling her to calm down, that everything was fine. She shook her head still thrashing, still screaming madly, calling for none other than Zuko himself. Demanding him to wake up and come back to her.

Then gentle hands were placed on each side of her head holding her in place.

"Katara? Katara look at me." A voice demanded. The woman tried to shake her head once more but couldn't so only said "No," as tears cascaded down her face.

"Yes Katara sweetheart. Please look at me." The voice was husky, shaky, a heavy hint of worry replacing the harshness of Azula's. Slowly, ever so slowly and cautiously Katara opened her eyes again and met Fire Lord Zuko's adoring yet defiantly worried gaze.

"Zuko?" She spoke his name in a whisper, non-believing, before she threw her arms around his neck and held on for dear life.


	11. Chapter 11 I'll save you if you save me

**Chapter 11 I'll save you if you save me**

Zuko held Katara in his arms, bringing her as close as physically possible. His fingers played in her hair, sweaty from the nightmare and thrashing she had just finished.

"I'm here Katara, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere," he whispered only loud enough for her to hear over her sobbing, as he kissed her hair and forehead over and over again, trying his best to sooth her. He stayed still letting her cry as much as she needed. When he had left earlier, he knew that something heavy was weighing on her shoulders, something that she wouldn't, or perhaps couldn't, voice even to him. Yet she had blown it off as though it was nothing. He had left, but stayed close just in case she decided she was going to tell him.

When it had seemed that Katara had fallen asleep and was at peace, the Fire Lord had began his short walk down the hall to his own room and upon entering the bedchambers had disposed of his robes and boots before all but collapsing onto the large bed, shirtless. He quickly fell asleep only to have that sleep invaded with images of Azula standing over him as he held a bleeding and dying Katara in his arms. The images dispersed only to be replaced by images of Ozi lying over the water bender, scarring her gorgeous, supple skin, as he harshly rid her of her clothes.

He had only just awoken from a nightmare in which his father had sickeningly raped Katara, when he heard her screams from down the hall. Without hesitation he had thrown himself from the bed and raced down to her bedchambers, throwing open the door. The sight he had seen was horrific. The beautiful water bender was thrashing around in pain, tears streaming down her face as she screamed for _him_ to wake up, to come back to her. Then she stilled for a moment and Zuko thought that perhaps the nightmare was over. His heart beat madly but all but stopped as he heard her whisper the words "I love you." then the screaming resumed along side the thrashing

He couldn't take it anymore. He climbed up in the bed and pulled the sleeping woman towards him and began to gently shake her, begging her to wake up, telling her that everything was fine. She had opened her eyes only a moment before squeezing them shut, hitting him demanding why he _could do it?"_

"He was your brother!"

The words stung him for a moment before he finally placed his hands on the side of her head and told her to look at him. When she had reopened her eyes and saw that it was him, she had thrown herself at him, hanging on to his neck for dear life, sobbing, repeating the words "you're okay" over and over again.

Moments passed before her crying finally dwindled and she laid still in his arms. "Katara?" She pulled away and leaned back against the pillows, her knees pulled to her chest, her entire body shaking as she rocked back and forth. "Katara, are you okay?" it was a stupid question, one he already knew the answer to but thought to ask anyway because he needed her to say it. She shook her head not trusting her voice. Zuko switched positions, sitting beside her like they had been only hours ago, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Minutes passed before Katara relaxed enough to allow herself to lean into Zuko's warm body.

He was shirtless she saw, the only piece of clothing on his body dark colored pants. As she looked at him through the light haze the lamp on the bedside table cast about the room, she could almost see the man he had been when he had been training Aang. Almost. Now his hair was longer and less shaggy around the edges, and in the place of smooth scarless skin on his chest, he had a large scar rippling out beginning in the center of his sternam and leading to his heart.

She laid down on the bed, entangling her legs with his as she rested her head on his chest just below his chin. her fingers began to trace the scar sending slight shivers through Zuko's skin.

"Some dream hu?"

Zuko found himself whispering as he played with her hair. Katara quit tracing the scar and her hands lay dormant as she burried her face into his neck and breathed in his burnt firewood scent, and listened to his steady heartbeat. Yes, some dream.

"you never told me you had nightmares."

She was silent for a moment and then... "they aren't important Zuko. They're just nightmares."

Her voice was cracked and her body began to shake again. Zuko held her closer.

"Want to talk about them?"

The water bender lifted her head and met his golden gaze once more, a puzzled expression on her face.

"you're not the only one who has nightmares about that night with Azula, Katara."

His reply only shocked her more. _that night with Azula_... she wondered how he had known that she was dreaming about _that night_. Then it hit her. Sokka had woken her from many nightmares back in the south pole over the past few years, and every time she had asked how he had known, all he had said was he could hear her screaming, begging La to _save Zuko._ The fire-bender's room was only down the hall from hers... he would have defiantly heard her if she had been screaming for him. Suddenly she remembered telling him she loved him in her dream and the thought that perhaps the Zuko here with her now, the alive and well Zuko, had heard _her,_ frightened her.

She closed her eyes again and nuzzled back into Zuko's warm chest.

"Every single night," she whispered, amazed that she was actually going to talk about the nightmares with him when she had absolutely refused to talk to anyone else about them. "Every single night I'm afraid to go to sleep because they are always, always waiting without fail. Ever since that night. They only got worse and to the point I was sleep talking when we left ember Island." Zuko was silent waiting for her to be finished before he asked any questions.

"they switch from night to night. Some nights, like tonight, it's Azula killing you, then burning me alive. Other night I watch as Ozi kills Aang and everyone we've ever cared about, before..." she stopped suddenly and the fire lord felt a shiver of fear run through her. "Katara?" He could feel his bare chest wet with her tears. "And then he takes me away and he..." she couldn't say the words and she didn't need to. Zuko knew what she was talking about, He himself had just woken up from one of those dreams. But it must have been different, he guessed, for her to have to _see, feel,_ when his father marred her beautiful skin, raping her harshly.

She took a different turn speaking of a different nightmare. "Sometimes he just kills me out right, burning me alive like Azula... sometimes he even keeps you alive, so you can do it for him."

Zuko moved to sit up at her words, frightened, horrified that her dreams involved him in that way. It made him cringe with disgust at the mere thought. He had never and would never think about hurting her that way, even if they had lost the war and his father had tried to force him to do something like that, he would've burned himself alive first.

"Does it make you afraid of me?"

her answer surprised him. "Of course not Zuko. Even in my dreams, even when you..." she trailed off a shudder rippling through her skin as she pulled herself even closer to him. "even then, you are only protecting me from _him,_ from worse things." Yes even in her worse nightmares Zuko was protecting her from the greater evil. Silence embraced the benders as they laid there holding each other close. An hour passed before Katara even said another word.

"What are yours like Zuko?" Her words were still whispered, still worried and cracked around the edges, almost as though she was afraid of the answer she would receive. He was silent for a moment pondering whether or not to tell her. He didn't want to worry her anymore than she already was. But the look portrayed in her vibrant blue eyes held him in place and promised to never let him go unless he told her the truth.

"Much like yours, except I never had time to even save you before she hit you with that lightening bolt. In most of them I'm holding you and you're just... fading. Then afterwards I end up burning Azula alive. My own sister..." he paused letting his words sink in. Katara's face turned from worried to plain scared in a matter of seconds and he knew that it wasn't that she had died, but that he had to deal with the pain of not only losing her but also murdering his own sister. He didn't dare tell her that he had the same ones she did when it came to his father, he didn't need her even more afraid to go to sleep than she already was. So he let the matter drop.

katara raised her head, leaning on her arms as she looked into Zuko's golden eyes. "You know I wouldn't be here right now if you hadn't done what you had right? You saved my life." He smiled up at her and moved a few strands of her hair out of her face, tucking them behind her ears. "I would do it all over again if needed. I wouldn't have changed a single thing if it meant keeping you alive in the end."

His words scared her even more, the fact that he would nearly die for her over and over again weighed on her mind as she said the following words, "You wouldn't be able to because if that ever happened again, I wouldn't let you." Then she returned his smile as best she could, hoping it would prove that she was better, when in fact she clearly wasn't by much. then before she even knew what she was doing she leaned down and kissed his scar right where it reached for his heart.

The two lasped into silence again each one thinking about the night that Zuko had almost died for Katara. Curled into his side, his heat and scent lulling her to sleep, she felt the whisper of the dreams returning and frightened, she sat back up bringing her knees back into her chest. "you need to sleep Tara." She shook her head violently until Zuko kneeled back in front of her and tilted her chin up.

"Would it help if I stayed here with you? At least until you fell asleep and dawn came?" He prayed she would say yes so he could hold her safe and sound for the rest of the night. Katara thought for a moment, her expression still worried. He pulled her close again and whispered in her ear. "I'll keep you safe if you keep me safe." Too exhausted she didn't much think about what would happen if anyone was to check on the fire lord and find him missing from his chambers, let alone what anyone would think if they came to check on her and found him sleeping in her bed. Nuzzling even closer to him she allowed herself a small smile before drifting off into an easy slumber, lulled once more by burnt firewood and honey.

Neither bender realized that when Zuko had thrown open Katara's door and hurried to calm her down, that he had left it cracked. Neither of them knew that though they had stayed quite, Katara's screams had woken another. Someone who had came rushing to her rooms, used to laying by her side, soothing her fears and waiting till she fell back to sleep.

Yet Sokka couldn't help but smile as he watched his little sister lay down wrapped up in the fire lords arms, and drifted off to sleep, Zuko following closely behind her. By now he knew that they must have admitted their feelings to themselves if not to each other. As he moved away from the door and stole back down the halls to his own room Sokka didn't notice the stranger hiding in the shadows of the halls. yet she was there and as soon as Sokka was out of sight Mai 's mother left her hiding pace and quickly made her way back down to her and her husbands shared chambers that she would only have one night left to use before returning to her home in the city. Her face was not a happy one.


	12. authors note

**hey guys so I was wondering if anyone knew how to draw and wanted to draw some Zuko and Katara for me to go along with my story. If anyone's up for the challenge I'd love you forever! I can write but I can't draw to save me life. :) I'm gonna be attending a camp here soon so I won't have nearly as much time as id like to update but dont worry I'll be posting more here soon as I can. FYI Zuko's about to find out the worse case scenario here soon and Katara is about to go bat shit crazy for a few moments so hold on guys! Love you all and hope for some more reviews soon. Honestly guys tell me what you think!**

 **-Briar-**


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